DATE CHANGED Approaches for Creating a Veteran Friendly Campus

Deb Casey-Powell, Ph.D. is Dean of Students and Retention at Green River Community College. She developed and currently advises the GRCC Veterans Council on her campus. This Council provides seamless wrap-around academic and support services to veterans and family members. Green River Community College offers an academic program called the Veterans Conservation Corps. The purpose of this academic program is to assist veterans by providing volunteer opportunities on projects that will help restore Washington's rivers, streams, lakes, marine waters and open lands. Dr. Casey-Powell is an advocate for veterans within the State of Washington and her focus has been on outreach to veterans, transition for new student-veterans arriving on campus, tying together campus and community veteran resources into a single hub, and assisting student veterans and families in transition to the workforce and other leadership endeavors. Deb is also the Chair for the President’s Commission on Diversity and serves on the University of Washington AccessComputing: Building Capacity for Veterans with Disabilities Community of Practice.

 

Michael Dakduk the President of Student Veterans of America served in the Marine’s 1st Air Naval Gun Fire Liaison Company on his first deployment to Iraq (2005-06). Upon returning, he was promoted to Sergeant (E-5) and was transferred to the 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion (1st MSOB) at Camp Pendleton, Ca. Sgt. Dakduk’s second and recent deployment was to Afghanistan with Marine Special Operations (2007). Sergeant Dakduk was honorably discharged from active duty in late January of 2008. Sergeant Dakduk’s decorations include the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (Combat “V”- Valor), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Combat Action Ribbon (x2), Iraqi Campaign Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, and the NATO Medal.  Michael now attends the University of Nevada Las Vegas and is pursuing a B.S. in Public Administration. His educational achievements and scholarships include: UNLV 2009 Outstanding Emerging Leader, UNLV Leadership Scholarship, Nevada Millennium Academic Scholarship, Horatio Alger Military Scholarship, and he is a graduate of the LeaderShape Institute.

Bob Ackerman, Ph.D. joined the faculty at the University of Nevada Las Vegas as an associate professor in 2001. His areas of interest are higher education and college student personnel administration. He served as an administrator of student services program at different types of institutions during his 29 year career as a practitioner, including a total of 25 years as the chief student affairs administrator at two campuses, 14 years of which were as vice president for student services at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. His extensive experience includes program development, planning, administration, politics, facility building, and student learning.  Bob is a Board Member of the Student Veterans of America.  He is a veteran of the United States Navy.